1 - Divine Aggression in Comparative Perspective

Summary

Chapter 1 introduces a contrast that has played an important role in biblical studies. Pivotal figures like Julius Wellhausen and Walther Eichrodt alike claim that the biblical god Yhwh is distinct from his ancient divine counterparts in that he alone acts destructively against his own king and country. To test this long-standing thesis, the chapter argues that memorial inscriptions from the Levant constitute the most interesting and productive comparand available for assessing the uniqueness of Yhwh’s aggression, and this for several reasons: their relative cultural and linguistic proximity to ancient Israel and Judah; their relative length as texts, as over against other royal inscriptions like dedicatory inscriptions; the relative richness of their deity profile; and especially their closing curse sections that provide examples of divine aggression.